Sex uncovered poll: Education and ethnicity

One in five have had sex at work. A third of us lose our virginity before the age of consent. Half of us have had one-night stands. Almost all men are happy with their 'size'. One in four of us think we are very good in bed. Men are more likely to be unfaithful than women. How do you measure up? This special Observer Sex Poll 2008 reveals all ...

Sex uncovered poll: Education and ethnicity

One in five have had sex at work. A third of us lose our virginity before the age of consent. Half of us have had one-night stands. Almost all men are happy with their 'size'. One in four of us think we are very good in bed. Men are more likely to be unfaithful than women. How do you measure up? This special Observer Sex Poll 2008 reveals all ...

Seventy per cent of Britons would not consider having sex with someone who had a physical disability. Just over one in four would not rule out the possibility, while only four per cent have actually had sex with someone with a physical disability. Men are slightly more likely than women to rule out the possibility.

Twenty-eight per cent of Britons have had sex with someone of a different colour to them and 57 per cent would consider it in the future. Men are far more likely than women to have done so (34 per cent and 22 per cent respectively) and also to consider it in the future (67 per cent and 47 per cent respectively).

While we might expect that Britons in the south east and London to be most likely to have sex with someone of a different colour, it is actually those living in the north of England who are more likely to have done so (37 per cent).

They are also the most likely to consider having sex with someone of a different colour in the future (66 per cent).

Thirty-nine per cent of the 35-44 age group have had sex with someone of a different colour, making them the age group most likely to have done so.

Five per cent of Britons have had some form of cosmetic surgery in the past, although 40 per cent of those who have done so would not consider cosmetic surgery again in the future. Just over a third of Britons have not had cosmetic surgery in the past but would consider it in the future.

Women are twice as likely as men to have had cosmetic surgery in the past and they are also significantly more likely to consider it in the future. In total, 48 per cent of British women have either had cosmetic surgery in the past or would consider having it done in the future.

The 45-54 age group are most likely to have had surgery in the past while those aged 25-34 are most likely to consider it in the future.

Forty per cent believe that children in school today are given too little information about sex.

It is interesting to note that those who have had the most recent personal experience of sex education in schools are the most likely to feel that children are given insufficient information; Fifty-four per cent of those aged 16-24 believe children are given too little information.

Each successive generation is then more likely to feel that children are given too much information about sex at school.

Since 2002, the number who feel children are given too little information has fallen from 49 per cent. Among the 16-24 age group the proportion has fallen from 65 per cent.

There is a widely held belief that children are more at risk from paedophiles nowadays than they were even 10 years ago. There is similar levels of agreement across all demographic groups on this point.

However, it is noteworthy that those who are most likely to feel that children are at greater risk from paedophiles than they were 10 years ago are the youngest; 91 per cent of those aged 16-24 believe this to be the case.

Methodology

A sample of 1,044 UK adults aged 16+ were interviewed by ICM Research in September 2008.

Participants completed a confidential questionnaire, which was then placed in a sealed envelope. Interviews were conducted across the country and the results have been weighted to the profile of all adults.